Drafting-digitizing apparatus



Aug- 13, 1968 c. H. LITTLE ET Al. 3,396,679

DRAFTING-DIGITIZING APPARATUS Original Filed March 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS CHARLES HUBBARD LITTLE W DO H. KLIEVER EGENE L. WIEMELS MAM f yur +++|Tr++ +++LL|++ ++i.

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ATTOR NEYS Aug. 13, 1968 C, H |TT| E ET AL `3,396,679

DRAFTING-DIGITIZING APPARATUS original Filed March 4, 196s 4 Sheetsshee 2 om om INVENTORS CHARLES HUBBARD LITTLE WLDO H. KLIEVER EUGENE l.. WIEMELS lil ,IIIIVIIIII ...Iam

Aug. 13, 1968 C, H, 1TTLE ET AL 3,396,679

DRAFTING-DIGITIZING APPARATUS Driginal Filed March 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HQE .AA W A JOMTI .mm

INVENTORS CHARLES HUBBARD LITTLE WALDO H. KLIEVER EUGENE L. WIEMELS WMM/W ATTORNEYS Aug. 13, 1968 riginal Filed March 44 Sheets-Sheet M. om. mT T MURS L DEE R www @KW H Hll- S www Mmm nHv W CL A) 6 I fq. r

United States Patent M' 3,396,679 DRAFTING-DIGITIZING APPARATUS Charles Hubbard Little, Pepper Pike, Cleveland, and

Waldo H. lliever and Eugene L. Wiemels, Cleveland Heights, hio, assignors to Universal Drafting Machine Corporation, Bedford Heights, Ohio, a corporation of Ghio Original appiication Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,590.

Divided and this application Feb. 21, 1966, Ser.

2 Ciaixns. (Cl. 10S-144) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A table assembly for supporting automatically controlled drafting-digitizing apparatus and sheet-like material such as drawing paper on which the said apparatus performs drafting-digitizing operations. The assembly includes a table top which includes, in part, a sheet material hold-down means. The assembly is provided with level adjusters for adjusting the level of the table top at the end portions of the assembly and additionally at portions intermediate of said end portions.

The present invention relates to a work holder to be utilized by drafting machines and the like apparatus.

This application is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 262,590, filed Mar. 4, 1963, now abandoned.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved work holder for supporting a sheetlike article on which lines, characters and the like may be drawn or are drawn and for supporting automatic apparatus of the graphic type.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved work holder for supporting a sheet-like article on which lines, characters and the like may be drawn or are drawn, and on which automatic apparatus of the graphic type is supported whereby the level of the Work holder may be adjusted to bring the level of the sheet-like article into planar relationship with the graphic apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved table of lightweight and sturdy construction to be used with graphic apparatus where the table is provided with novel leveling apparatus, and Where it is also provided with a sheet-like article hold-down means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel supporting structure for an automatic drawing machine or the like, having a rigid, reinforced sub-frame f assembly with means for leveling the sub-frame relative to the supporting surface upon which it is located, and having a drawing surface or the like, including hold-down means, superposed on and supported by the sub-frame assembly with means provided in said sub-frame for tilting the drawing surface relative to said sub-frame assembly.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following description of the preferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view of an automatic graphic machine and the table supporting the machine forming a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

3,396,679 Patented Aug. 13, 1968 ICC FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, with portions broken away, of the apparatus and table shown in FIGURE l, looking from the lower side of FIGURE l FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the apparatus and table shown in FIGURE l looking from the left side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view approximately on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view approximately on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a view approximately on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a view approximately on the line 7 7 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is a view approximately on the line 8 8 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged view of the table beams and supporting brackets looking at the left end of FIGURE 3.

The preferred apparatus of the present invention comprises a table assembly including a hold-down apparatus for supporting an automatically controlled machine where the machine is used to perform operations upon a sheetlike article; the sheet-like article is also supported by the Work holder. The sheet-like article may be drawing paper or the like and may or may not have a drawing, etc. on its surface. The controlled machine may be used to draw on the sheet-like article or it may be used for line following operations relative to characters, lines and the like carried on said sheet-like article. The table assembly comprises a reinforced sub-assembly or frame supported on a plurality of vertically extending adjustable leg members. The sub-assembly consists of a rectangular apron that may be reinforced by a plurality of transversely extending channel members and supports a plurality of spaced apart dightweight aluminum girders. Some of the aluminum girders are attached to the sub-assembly in such a manner that they may be tilted at either end thereof and in addition they may be tilted at their midpoint. They are utilized for supporting a table top and the automatic graphic apparatus. The table top may be made out of any light- Weight material. In the preferred embodiment, it is used for supporting a hold-down device of the vacuum type, and for supporting the sheet-like article upon which drawing or line following operations are to be performed.

Referring to the drawings, the table assembly 10 shown, includes a fabricated pre'stressed aluminum table top 11 or work support provided with a flat linoleum surface 12 to which a drawing material 13 or the like, to be marked, scribed or engraved, etc. may be secured by tape or other conventional means. The table top 11 may be supported in Iany position, for example, horizontal or vertical, by any appropriate means. The top 11 is :shown as supported in a honizontal position upon a plurality of aluminum channel members or cro'ss girders 14, 15, 16, 17 secured to a rsuitable sub-table structure or assembly 13 including legs 19 fitted to the corners and being provided with table leveling adjusters and vibration `absorbing pads 20. The lsub-table 18 comprises a rectangular frame 21, sometimes referred to as apron, formed of heavy aluminum angles reinforced at tlhe corners by angle braces 21. The table shown is slightly more than twice as long a's it is Wide and the table top 11 overhangs the sub-table 18 a small amount. The frame 21 may be reinforced by one or more transverse channels 22 suitably connected thereto as shown in FIGURE 5. Each of the long lsides of the apron 21 is provided with an extruded aluminum truss bar 23, the crosssectional shape of which is rectangular. 'Ihe tops of the truss bars are spaced a short distance below the inwardly projecting top flanges of the lapron and are substantially as long as the |side of the apron which they yadjoin. The ends of the tnuss bars are connected to the vertical flange of the yapron adjacent thereto by bolts 24 extending through aligned iholes in the bars and apron and in which they engage, preferably without undue looseness. A plurality of similar bolts `are spaced intermediate the end bolts, but the holes in the apron through which these bolts extend are slightly elongated vertically.

'I'he table top 11 is placed upon the apron 21 of the subtable with the girders 14-17 resting upon the top of the long sides of the Iapron 21 and bolted to the top flange thereof by bolts 25 having round heads located at the underside of the top ange of the apron and spaced above the underlying truss bar. Lock washers may be interposed on the bolts between the underside of the girders and the top of the apron and/ or underneath the heads or nuts. The two longitudinally extending truss bars are connected by extruded laluminum tie bars 26, also rectangular in cross section :and connected to angles 27 by suitable =re cess headed screws 2S, which angles are in turn connected to the truss bars by similar screws. One of the tie bars 26 i-s located underneath each of the two girders and 16 of the table top 11.

The truss and tie bars 23 and 26 are provided with vertically extending recess headed bolts or jackscrews 29 used for leveling the table top 11. Each screw 29 extends vertilc'ally through the bar in which it is supported and iis provided at its upper end with a nut 29 which can be used to [raise yor lower the screw in its respective bar. The upper ends of the jackscrews 29 abut the head of one of the bolts 25, previously referred to. Since the tie bars 26 are shown only about lhalf as dee-p as the truss bars 23, tubular lspacers 30 are interposed between the top walls of the tie bars land the nuts of the jackscrews or bolts carried thereto.

With the table top 11 bolted to the sub-table 18 and the bolts 24 slightly loosened so that relative movement can take place between the parts of the apron 21 and the truss bars 23 between the end -bolts 24, the jackscrews 29 may be rotated relative to their nuts to raise and lower the upper ends thereof and thus level the work surface of the table top 11 in the area intermediate the table leg end portions and relative to the vertical position of the top 11 at 'said end portions. Of course, the top 11 may be first adjusted and leveled at the end portions of the aslsembly by adjusting the Vertical height of the legs 19 through vertical positioning of the adjusting land vibration absorbing pads 20. The bolts 24 are thereafter tightened. The construction just described provides a relatively light table structure requiring merely four legs, but the top working surface of which can be made and maintained level. In the present instance the top 11 is provided with an all aluminum vacuum chuck 31 placed thereon and having paper engaging and locating fixed corner stops 32, 33 on the lower right-hand corner of the chuck and an adjustable stop 34 attached to its lower right-hand edge. As will be understood, the drafting paper 13, shown on the chuck 31, may be moved or positioned by the adjustable tstop 34 to orient a drawing on the table so that sit will be in the plane of a plurality of trackways 35, 36, 37. The trackways are utilized to support a pair of movable assemblies 38, 39, which assemblies in turn support drafting equipment and the like.

Referring to FIGURES l and 8, the vacuum.: chuck 31 lshown, comprises a |cast aluminum lsub-base 40 having air grooves 41 milled therein in the form of a grid and a cover plate 42 or sheet of anodized aluminum which Lserves to provide the drawing or work receiving surface. The ends of the grooves in the sub-base yare closed and the grooves a're connected to a suitable vacuum pump not shown. 'Ilhe cover sheet has a plurality of small holes 43 drilled therein and which communicate with the grooves milled in the sub-baise. In the embodiment shown, the 'holes are lspaced on 11/2" centers and have a diameter of .025. The chuck is adapted to lhold drawings smaller than the area provided with holes by using masks to mask oif or close the holes not covered Iby the drawing. A vacuum actuated' circuit control is provided for stopping the operation of the apparatus if the vacuum fails.

Theautomatically controlled drafting apparatus comprising the movable assemblies 38, 39 with their respective motive power means and other instruments mounted on carriages 44, 45 and 46 are shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 9. The carriages 44 and 45 lare supporte-d on the pair orf runway beams 36 and 37 Where the beams are supported by the table 10. The beams 36 and 37 are secured to the table 10 Iby a plurality of longitudinally spaced brackets 47, 48 respectively, detachably bolted to opposite ends of the channel members 14-17 at the sides of the table top along which they extend and to planar ribs 49, 50 along the left and right-hand side of the beams 36 and 37 as they are viewed in FIGURES 2 and 9. The brackets 47, 48 and the outer sides of the beams 36 and 37 are protected by movable covers 51, 52, respectively, suitably connected to the table.

From the foregoing description 'of the preferred embodiment of the invention and alternative constructions mentioned, it will be apparent that the objects of the invention heretofore enumerated and 'others have been accomplished. While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that alternative constructions and arrangements may be employed, 1to1 example, materials mentioned :relative to the construction of the table may be substituted for other materials that `are light in weight and yet produce a sturdy rigid construction and although in the :preferred embodiment the work holder has been shown and ydescribed as being in a horizontal attitude, it is to be understood that it can be placed in any attitude necessary for the production of automatic operations on a drawing.

It is the intention to hereby cover all embodiments of the invention which come within the practice of those skilled in the art to which it relates and the appended claims.

Having described our invention, -we claim:

1. In a drafting-digitizing machine, `a table for supporting an article to be marked, said table comprising a substructure including an elongated rectangular frame member, leg members connected to said frame member adjacent to each of the corners thereof, a table top structure having an upper work surface supported on said :frame member; and screw means carried by and spaced along the long sides of said frame member and 'operatively connected to said table top structure for adjusting the relative vertical position of portions of said frame member and said table top stiucture whereby the Work surface of said table top structure may be leveled.

2. In a drafting-digitizing machine, a table assembly for supporting an article to be marked comprising: an elongated rectangular frame member supported on leg members, said leg members being located at the corners of said frame mem-ber; truss bar members extending lengthwise 'along the long sides of said frame member, each of said truss bars being rigidly attached by its ends to said frame member such that the truss bar ends are restrained against vertical movement relative to said frame member, each of said truss bars being additionally attached to said frame member at points intermediate of sm'd truss bar ends -for vertical movement relative to said frame member; at least two tie bars supported by and extending between said truss bars, said tie bars being supported in spaced-apart relationship relative to the central portion of said frame member; a tabletop structure including a sheet-like material supporting top surface supported Iby a plurality of transversely extending members References Cited attached to said -frarne member, at least two of said top UNITED STATES PATENTS sunface supporting `members being attached in superposed relative vertical position of portions of said table top l. structure relative to said bar members and relative to ROBERT C RIORDONP'HWW Examme" the corners of said table. 10 I. F. MCKEOWN, Assistant Examiner. 

